Stress is the biggest hindrance to your productivity in general, whether it is caused by work or personal matters. It does a great deal of pulling you down and hence affects your focus on every task.
When stress starts affecting your productivity at work, it is an indication that you need to attend to it. It is suggested by several relevant publications that you try the following to minimise your stress levels and enhance effective working.
Determine your stress triggers: Vanderbilt University advises that you identify stress triggers by recognizing major stressors causing anxiety, frustration, or tension, adding that “Slowing down and noticing what’s causing your stress is an important first step toward lowering it.”
Recharge: Laura Vanderkam, a time-management expert, shared with meQuilibrium that creating daily plans with rejuvenating activities like walking or meditation reduces stress and anxiety, as unplanned breaks can lead to a more productive life. “This might be anything from taking a walk to listening to a guided meditation. If you don’t have planned breaks, you’ll take little ones to read headlines—and then you’ll just get anxious again.”
Have a clear plan for the day: “A factor known to contribute to job burnout is unclear requirements for employees. If you don’t know exactly what is expected of you, or if the requirements for your role keep changing with little notice, you might become extremely stressed,” states Very Well Mind. It is stated that talking with your supervisor about expectations and strategies can help alleviate stress and improve overall performance.
Don’t be a perfectionist: According to Healthline perfectionism can be stressful and lead to burnout. Therefore to maintain high standards, it is mentioned that you focus on effort and avoid personalising failure. The publication further states that you avoid perfectionism by letting go of unnecessary work and focusing on the present moment.
Also see: Can stress cause ulcers?
